Paper fastener



Sept. 24, 1935. B. cs. RAND 2,015,461

PAPER FASTENER Filed April 6, 1934 Patented Sept. 24, 1935 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE PAPER. FASTENER Benjamin G. Rand, North Tonawanda, N. Y.,assignor to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo, N. Y.

Application April 6, 1934, Serial No. 719,263

4 Claims.

5 of the keeper to retain and bind papers on the keeper for paperfasteners having an elongated metal strip provided with openings nearopposite ends to receive prongs bent laterally over one face, while acover strip is detachably connected to the keeper to extend over thefree ends of the prongs for cooperation to house the prongs between thecover strip and keeper, the keeper being formed to provide a centralprong receiving recess and marginal flange portions to provide a rigidstructure in combination.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows in perspective a portion of a correspondence folder and aseries of paper sheets secured therein by means of a paper fasteneremploying the improved keeper having the cover strip cooperating tohouse the prongs in the keeper.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section taken on line 22 of Fig. l, thepapers being omitted and the cover strip shown in a flexed positionillustrating the method of applying and removing the strip from theprong housing position of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows the base member and the keeper in perspective, disassembledand separated relation, and the cover in open position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section similar to Fig. 2 showing the covermember in operative position to house the prongs.

Paper fasteners of the character disclosed herein are usually used withcorrespondence and similar folders such. as the folder indicated at I inFig. l and comprise a base member 2 formed of an elongated sheet metalstrip having relatively narrower prongs 3 extending laterally fromopposite ends as shown in Fig. 3 with relatively small prongs 4 onopposite sides of the prongs 3 and .on the ends of base 2 that serve tosecure the base member to the folder I. The prongs 3 extend through thefolder I to receive a group of correspondence or other papers indicatedgenerally at 5.

The free ends of the prongs have a keeper 8 applied thereto by extendingprongs 3 through transverse slots 1 in opposite ends of keeper 6.

The keeper according to the present invention is formed of a thin sheetmetal strip having a central body portion 8 extending between thetransverse prong receiving slots 1 formed in opposite ends, while amarginal portion of the strip forming the keeper is provided with sideportions 9 and end portions I offset laterally to one side of the keeperas clearly shown in Figs. 2 to 4, to form an elongated prong receivingrecess be- 5 tween slots I. The marginal edge portion of the stripforming the keeper is extended laterally toward the plane of bodyportion 8 from the side portions 9 and I0 as clearly shown in Figs. 2and 4, at II. 10

A cover strip I2 of spring steel that is both resilient and flexible hasone end thereof secured to one of the end portions I0 by means of atubular rivet I3 for pivotal movement normally in a plane parallel tothe plane of the strip forming the keeper. The free end of cover stripI2 is reduced to form a tongue I4 adapted for engagement in a slot I5formed in the other end portion II} of the keeper in the mannerdisclosed in Figs. 2 and 4. In order to engage tongue I4 in the slot oropening I5,;cover strip I2 is flexed upwardly as shown in Fig. 2 toshorten its length sufficiently to insert the endof tongue It in openingI5 in which position the cover strip is shown in Fig. 2. Upon release ofthe cover strip after the tongue is inserted in opening I5, it willassume the position shown in Fig. 4 due to the resiliency of thematerial from which the strip is formed.

In the use of this fastener construction with a folder, the base memberis applied to the back of the folder I as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 withprongs 3 extending through the folder to receive papers 5. The ends ofthe prongs when extended laterally in the position shown in Fig. 3, forexample, will receive the papers and following the application of thepapers to the prongs in a well known manner keeper 6 is then applied tothe prongs so they will extend through transverse slots I, the covermember being in the position shown in Fig. 3. After the keeper isinserted onto the top of the 40 group of papers in the manner shown inFig. 1, the prongs are then bent laterally into the prong receivingrecess formed in the keeper with the prongs extending toward each otherin the recess in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

When this operation is completed, the cover strip I2 is then movedpivotally from the position shown in Fig. 3 to overlie the keeper,whereupon it is bent in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 to engagetongue I4 in opening I5. The cover then being released, its naturalresiliency will cause it to assume the position shown in Fig. 4. In thisposition the prongs will be housed in the recess in the keeper betweenthe cover member and the body portion in the manner shown in Figs. 1, 2and 4.

The offset side andend portions and flange H cooperate with the centralbody portion of the keeper in forming a substantially rigid constructionthat can be made of light-weight sheet metal and that will providerounded edges so that the keeper will not catch on adjacent objects andthe cover strip when applied in the position shown in Fig. 1 willprevent the prongs from springing upwardly from the keeper and catchingon other papers in the folder or other adjacent objects and will alsoprevent the prongs from' mutilating the paper of the other cover of thefolder. The cover member also cooperates to retain the prongs from beingaccidentally moved away from the keeper which would allow the keeper tobecome loose on the papers or to become entirely detached therefrom, andtherefore, serves in combination with the keeper to provide a lock forthe prongs in the attached relation of the parts, thereby efficientlyholding the papers in bound relation on the prongs.

What is claimed is:

1. In a paper fastener, a keeper formed of a relatively long and narrowstrip of stiff sheet material, said strip being formed in each endportion with a transverse prong receiving slot, an opening formed in oneend of said strip between the end and the prong receiving slot, and aresiliently flexible cover strip pivoted at one end to the opposite endof said keeper strip and having the free end engageable in said openingby flexing said cover strip to engage said free end in said opening,said cover strip cooperating with said keeper to retain prongs insubstantial contact with the face of the keeper.

2. In a paper fastener, a keeper formed of a sheet metal strip having acentral long and narrow body portion formed at the ends with transverseprong receiving slots, said strip having marginal side and end portionsadjacent said central body portion ofiset to one side thereof tocooperate with said body portion to form an elongate-d prong receivingrecess between said slots, and a resiliently flexible cover strippivoted on one of said end portions and having the other end detachablyinterlocked with the other of said end portions by flexing said coverstrip to shorten the distance between its ends for engaging anddisengaging said cover strip in interlocked relation, said cover stripcooperating with the keeper to house prongs in said recess.

3. In a paper fastener, a keeper formed of a sheet metal strip having a,central body portion provided at the ends with transverse prongreceiving slots, marginal side and end portions of said strip adjacentsaid body portion ofiset to one side thereof to form a prong receivingrecess on one side of said body portion between said slots, one of saidend portions being provided with an opening, a resiliently flexiblecover strip pivoted on the other end portion having a tongue on the freeend for engagement in said opening by flexing said cover strip and toretain said cover strip over said recess to house prongs therein.

4. In a paper fastener, a keeper formed of a sheet metal strip having acentral body portion provided at the ends with transverse prongreceiving slots, marginal side and end portions of said strip adjacentsaid body portion offset to one side thereof to form a prong receivingrecess on one side of said body portion between said slots, and amarginal edge flange on said strip at the outer edge of said side andend portions extending laterally thereto and toward the plane of thebody portion, said flange, offset portions and body portions cooperatingto form a substantially rigid keeper.

BENJAMIN G. RAND.

